The State Government has requested the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to declare the Biju Patnaik International Airport here as an embarkation point for the Haj pilgrims of the State as soon as the operation of international flights starts.
So far, the Kolkata Airport has been the embarkation point for the Hajis from Odisha. As a senior State Government official pointed out, the relatives of the Hajis from Odisha also have to go to Kolkata to see off and receive the Hajis. This is not only expensive but full of hassles.
He informed that a letter has been written to the AAI Chairman for necessary action to make the Bhubaneswar airport an embarkation outlet for the Hajis. A Haj embarkation point is a space at airports where the pilgrims report for the completion of their travel formalities and board the outbound Haj charter flights. It may be mentioned that the Gaya and Ranchi airports have also already been declared embarkation points for the Hajis of Bihar and Jharkhand, respectively.